The Heart of God
All of us have heard and continue to hear about the tragic shooting at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and the lives of the children who were lost. Parents sent their children for a day of school, and hours later their worlds were turned upside down as a shooter entered the school and shot these innocent children. Their lives changed in an instant. I cannot imagine. Each day it seems that we hear of another shooting. In a mall, at a park, at a concert
It is natural to question God in moments like these, “What kind of God would allow this to happen?” These moments can prove challenging to people’s faith — where was God? What kind of God allows children to suffer? I think of the anguish a parent feels when a child is lost.
I also think of other types of parents who watch as their children turn away from them and make life choices that are harmful and self-destructive. The pain that parents feel as they watch a child spiral into self-destruction is horrific. The helplessness; anger, frustration can be overwhelming. Parents hearts are never the same when something happens to their children. Nothing affects a parents heart like something happening to or affecting their children. I am reminded of the countless parents and others who have lost children to suicide, or drug overdose, or some other self-destructive behavior. Often you can see the train coming and are often helpless to prevent it. Your heart breaks at your inability to change the self-destruction you see your child participating in.
I think of God’s heart.
The Narrative Lectionary text for this week speaks directly to a parent’s pain and to the question “What kind of God…?”
Last week, in Hosea 1, we read of how God had commanded Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman of harlotry, and the metaphor of how God was faithful to the nation of Israel even when it had moved into idolatry and worshipped other gods and had moved away from the one true God. God was angry and was turning His face against his people, shown in the illustrations of Hosea naming his children by Gomer, “Not my people," and “Not pitied," and “Jezreel” depicting violence.
Today, the metaphor shifts from that of a marriage where the spouse is unfaithful, to a metaphor of a parent with a child.
Hosea 11:1-11 is a beautiful love poem from God to the beloved child, Israel. This poem shows us the heart of God.
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
The more I called them, the more they went from me;
They kept sacrificing to Baals, and offering incense to idols.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them.
I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love.
“the more I called them, the more they went from me…”
“I took them up in my arms, but they did not know that I healed them…”
The purposes of these texts, the purpose of Hosea in the Bible I believe is two-fold. It conveys to us the intense love of God has for each of us, and it conveys to us how God’s love will never let us go — in spite our unfaithfulness.
The metaphors that are given to us; that of a marriage of a man to an unfaithful wife, that of a parent to a child, are metaphors that for each of us are imperfect. I had a hard time relating to some of it myself.
I wonder if that is why the metaphor is changed in the Book of Hosea? Each of these different familial relationships are ones that most of us can relate to in some fashion, however imperfectly, to one maybe more than the other.
I am getting ready to say “goodbye” to three of my children in the coming weeks in various ways. One is moving to a new state, where I will not be able to check on her as regularly, the other two to various college experiences. I know many of you have already experienced this, but it is new to me, I won’t be there to assess their decisions that they make, to guide them into the way of all truth (smile)…; they will be on their own and they may make decisions and be vulnerable to things that I have no control over. It is anxiety producing to say the least.
I hear in the words of Hosea a parenting God who watches as the people of Israel become more and more distant. The words of a parent looking back at pictures of innocent children as they go off onto their own unaware of the pitfalls that may lie ahead.
"They shall return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. The sword rages in their cities, it consumes their priests, it devours because of their schemes." These aren't words of punishment; rather, they are the recognition of the consequences that follow the choices of a headstrong people, a people that are turning away.
Many parents have watched as their children are swept up into a world of drugs and crime. The pain of waiting for the phone to ring, fearful when it does on who will be on the other end. The God depicted here knows the pain of waiting.
This parent/God also knows the anger that mingles with anguish and sorrow. The feeling of being betrayed and helpless. Knowing that maybe our child deserves what they get but wanting to protect them from it. “You made your bed, now lay in it” we may hear ourselves saying even while our hearts hurt; our righteous indignation can take over.
But here, at the end of Hosea, we see the mood change.
"My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath."
The Holy God who is just and righteous is above all things compassionate.
This parent will not leave his children. He will not come in wrath.
…”and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord”
The reading from Colossians today encourages us to set our minds on things above. It is so easy to turn our minds to things on this earth and become side-tracked. The text encourages us to turn from things we once followed and to be renewed in knowledge according to the image of our creator. The text speaks of God’s wrath to those who are disobedient.
Hosea reminds us that wrath and revenge are never God’s ultimate goal.
We may rage in anger at betrayal of a spouse or a child, but beneath the anger is loss and the deep desire to be made whole and for relationships to be restored.
We long to return to a home and community that loves each one into living the life we were meant to live.
And that is also the longing at the heart of God.
Teach us about your heart O God.
Amen.
It is natural to question God in moments like these, “What kind of God would allow this to happen?” These moments can prove challenging to people’s faith — where was God? What kind of God allows children to suffer? I think of the anguish a parent feels when a child is lost.
I also think of other types of parents who watch as their children turn away from them and make life choices that are harmful and self-destructive. The pain that parents feel as they watch a child spiral into self-destruction is horrific. The helplessness; anger, frustration can be overwhelming. Parents hearts are never the same when something happens to their children. Nothing affects a parents heart like something happening to or affecting their children. I am reminded of the countless parents and others who have lost children to suicide, or drug overdose, or some other self-destructive behavior. Often you can see the train coming and are often helpless to prevent it. Your heart breaks at your inability to change the self-destruction you see your child participating in.
I think of God’s heart.
The Narrative Lectionary text for this week speaks directly to a parent’s pain and to the question “What kind of God…?”
Last week, in Hosea 1, we read of how God had commanded Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman of harlotry, and the metaphor of how God was faithful to the nation of Israel even when it had moved into idolatry and worshipped other gods and had moved away from the one true God. God was angry and was turning His face against his people, shown in the illustrations of Hosea naming his children by Gomer, “Not my people," and “Not pitied," and “Jezreel” depicting violence.
Today, the metaphor shifts from that of a marriage where the spouse is unfaithful, to a metaphor of a parent with a child.
Hosea 11:1-11 is a beautiful love poem from God to the beloved child, Israel. This poem shows us the heart of God.
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
The more I called them, the more they went from me;
They kept sacrificing to Baals, and offering incense to idols.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them.
I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love.
“the more I called them, the more they went from me…”
“I took them up in my arms, but they did not know that I healed them…”
The purposes of these texts, the purpose of Hosea in the Bible I believe is two-fold. It conveys to us the intense love of God has for each of us, and it conveys to us how God’s love will never let us go — in spite our unfaithfulness.
The metaphors that are given to us; that of a marriage of a man to an unfaithful wife, that of a parent to a child, are metaphors that for each of us are imperfect. I had a hard time relating to some of it myself.
I wonder if that is why the metaphor is changed in the Book of Hosea? Each of these different familial relationships are ones that most of us can relate to in some fashion, however imperfectly, to one maybe more than the other.
I am getting ready to say “goodbye” to three of my children in the coming weeks in various ways. One is moving to a new state, where I will not be able to check on her as regularly, the other two to various college experiences. I know many of you have already experienced this, but it is new to me, I won’t be there to assess their decisions that they make, to guide them into the way of all truth (smile)…; they will be on their own and they may make decisions and be vulnerable to things that I have no control over. It is anxiety producing to say the least.
I hear in the words of Hosea a parenting God who watches as the people of Israel become more and more distant. The words of a parent looking back at pictures of innocent children as they go off onto their own unaware of the pitfalls that may lie ahead.
"They shall return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. The sword rages in their cities, it consumes their priests, it devours because of their schemes." These aren't words of punishment; rather, they are the recognition of the consequences that follow the choices of a headstrong people, a people that are turning away.
Many parents have watched as their children are swept up into a world of drugs and crime. The pain of waiting for the phone to ring, fearful when it does on who will be on the other end. The God depicted here knows the pain of waiting.
This parent/God also knows the anger that mingles with anguish and sorrow. The feeling of being betrayed and helpless. Knowing that maybe our child deserves what they get but wanting to protect them from it. “You made your bed, now lay in it” we may hear ourselves saying even while our hearts hurt; our righteous indignation can take over.
But here, at the end of Hosea, we see the mood change.
"My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath."
The Holy God who is just and righteous is above all things compassionate.
This parent will not leave his children. He will not come in wrath.
…”and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord”
The reading from Colossians today encourages us to set our minds on things above. It is so easy to turn our minds to things on this earth and become side-tracked. The text encourages us to turn from things we once followed and to be renewed in knowledge according to the image of our creator. The text speaks of God’s wrath to those who are disobedient.
Hosea reminds us that wrath and revenge are never God’s ultimate goal.
We may rage in anger at betrayal of a spouse or a child, but beneath the anger is loss and the deep desire to be made whole and for relationships to be restored.
We long to return to a home and community that loves each one into living the life we were meant to live.
And that is also the longing at the heart of God.
Teach us about your heart O God.
Amen.